Looks like the Uniter picked up on the Downtown BIZ CEO Sleep-out that Progressive Winnipeg first wrote about a couple weeks ago.
What Downtown BIZ and the CEOs involved don’t get about the criticism they are facing is that no one is saying that because they make a lot of money it’s their fault that people are homeless. What offended me about their late night photo-op was how it made being homeless seem so easy. Just grab a tent, a few sweaters, some good socks and stick it out for a measly couple hours in front of 201 Portage.
If the CEOs really wanted to show their support maybe they should have spent the night just around the corner sitting on the steps of Albert St.
Like the opening quote states BIZ doesn’t care about making the Exchange a more vibrant community that caters to all walks of life. BIZ seems determined to turn the Exchange into a high end retail area and push away the homeless and less desirables.
A campaign like this should have focused on changing our perception of homeless people. I see the same people sleeping on the steps and benches of the Exchange everyday, they are just as much a part of the landscape and community as the stores that occupy the street level and the people that work there. Teach people to treat them as such, like real human beings. They are your neighbours whether you like it or not.
